Nondetonating fuel



- combustion Patented [.l 3, 1933 ,5 STATES PATENT orica autism s. nun, or romr monmonn, camronnm, ASSIGNOB, ro erarmnnn on comrm or oamronma, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, a conromrrorr or DELAWARE nonnaroua'rme rent Ito-Drawing; Original application filed June 19, 1928, Serial No. 117,153. Divided and this application filed March 1, 1928, Serial No. 258,440. It'tenewecl December 21, 1931.

raised, a definiteor critical pressure isreached' at which each particular motor fuel produces a decided hiock. This knocking is evidenced by a pinking-sound in the motor combustion chamber and is accompanied by a loss in power, overheating, and eventual pre-ignition which, if severe, will cause the motor to stop.

Une of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a motor fuel for use in internal combustion engines which possesses less detonating properties than motor fuel now in use. lit has been found that certain relatively unstable organic compounds of metals, when admixed with mineral motor fuel, operate to suppress-detonation in inter nal combustion engines operating under relatively large loads and that high compression ratios, for example compression ratios in excess of about 4.5 to-l, may be employed when using such materials. Among the organic compounds of metal which have been em ployed for suppressing detonation in internal engines is iron carbonyl Fe(-CO) a material more properly kno wn as iron pentacarbonyl. This material operates very satisfactorily in suppressing detonation in internal combustion engines but has the disadvantage that it is unstable in the presence of air, light and moisture and difliculty is experienced in using motor fuels containing the iron pentacarbonyl due to the rapidity with which the pentacarbonyl decomposes upon standing. I have discovered that the tetracarbonyl of iron Fe (CO) is not only an efficient agent for suppressing det- ,onation in an internal combustion engine but that whenadded to motor fuel .itis highly stable on ex osure to air, moisture and light. Therefore t e present invention involves discovery of a non-detonating fuel of exceptional stability with respect to air, light and moisture. r

TVarious further objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the description of a preferred form or forms of non-detonating fuel embodying the invention,

The base of the motor fuel comprises a mineral hydrocarbon oil of any desired type such as is usually obtained from petroleum oil. To this mineral motor fuel is added quantities of iron tetracarbonyl which may considerably vary, depending upon the compression ratio of the internal combustion engine in which the motor fuel is to be employed. As an example of such motor fuel, iron tetracarbonyl has been added to gasoline from California crude petroleum oil in proportions of approximately 5 to 10 grams of carbonyl per gallon of gasoline. The fuel thus prepared, when'used to operate a motor with a compression ratio of as high as from 5.4 to 6.0 to 1, will operate satisfactorily without detonation. of the carbonyl to the gasoline the hi her the compression ratio of the engine may e.

. While I have described the preferred form or forms of motor fuel embodying. the present invention, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the specific form described but is of the scope set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A non-detonating motor fuel compris ing a mineral hydrocarbon oil admixed with iron tetracarbonyl.

2. A non-detonatingmotorfuelcomprising, an admixture of mineral hydrocarbon oil in iron tetracarbonyl in sufficient proportion to permit the fuel to operate without self- Obviously the greater the ratio lid detonation under compression ratios above 

